Agent Image's Blog

1. Brevity - Your name should be easy to remember and should require less effort to type into a browser.
2. Relevant keywords - Domains that contain commonly searched terms that are related to your business gives your site instant SEO advantage.
3. Easy recall - Domains that are easy to remember add value to a name and people will thank you for making it easy for them to find you.
4. Marketability - Your domain name should be complement your efforts at solid branding and your domain should sound as professional and marketable as possible.

These days, your real estate website and social media may be the most convenient way for you to reach out to potential clients, but placing equal attention on how your print marketing looks is just as important.

• Know the rules. Check with your neighborhood admin to learn if there’s any specific signage laws in the area. This will save you from possible hassles from local officials or other homeowners.

• Customize your signs. Choose a professional layout, text and design that’s consistent with your branding.  Make your company name, logo and contact information prominent. Make sure to include the URL address of your agent website.

• Attach a brochure box. Since you can’t fit every info about your real estate services in a small yard sign, a brochure box will provide people with additional information about the listed property, just make sure the box is weatherproof.
  

• Consider adding a QR code.  Add a QR code on your yard sign to link to a specific property listing page on your agent website.  You may create codes for each listing to drive traffic to your site. Then boost your listing pages with high-quality photos and video tours. For more info, check out this QR code article.

• Digital yard signs. For the more tech-savvy agents out there, if you haven't tried it yet, you may check out digital versions of yard signs --- these signs come in full color, double-sided and are reusable.  You may do a Google search for "real estate digital yard signs" for a list of suppliers.

• Check your sign inventory. Keep track of how many signs you have and where you have them. Draw up a regular schedule to check up on the condition of your yard signs. You don’t want a shabby, weather-beaten signage so make sure it’s sturdy enough to withstand harsh weather.

Agent Image sees the advantage of how effectively placing call to action messages on your real estate website can mutually benefit you and your visitors. Not only do they encourage interaction, they also give you the opportunity for more return on investment.

• Check your homepage layout.  Talk to your web developer and designer to make sure that the back end and front end of your site support these forms and buttons.  Make sure to ask your web designer about adding call to action buttons before you start the design process.  If you decide to add them after your website design has already been completed, your designer may ask for additional charges when you decide to add them later.

• Use urgent language. Words like Sign Up, Buy, Call, and Subscribe clearly indicate what you want visitors to do when they visit your site. When coupled with a time limit on the offer, you also add a sense of urgency to it.  For example, “Click Here to Sign Up for Free Property Listing Email Updates”

• Use white space. Web visitors won’t give much notice to your call to action buttons if it’s surrounded by clutter. Clear the area around it since empty space will help draw viewer attention.  Check out Chad Mitchell's "Listen to the Show" button.

• Use graphics. Another way to make your call to action messages pop out is to support it with graphics. For example, on Gerard Bisignano’s website, he invites readers to click and read his article features by placing a corresponding screenshot of the page with a “Click Here to View the Article” message.

• Size matters. No need for gigantic font sizes that will overwhelm people. Just make sure your call to action options are relatively larger than the font you normally use. If you choose to go with a much larger font size, tone down the colors and make sure it blends well with the rest of the page.

• Ask for the right information. This is important especially when encouraging viewers to make a transaction. Don’t ask for unnecessary info other than their first and last name, phone number and email address.

• Add a Privacy Policy. Whenever you ask a client to provide any info about themselves through a form, reassure them that their information won’t be used other than sending the specific info that they asked for when they signed up to your newsletter or email list.

• Strategic positioning. Place the call to action button somewhere where people can quickly find it. You can also place it somewhere around the center and use empty space or color contrast to draw the visitor’s eye in.  Check out Michael Collins’ Sign Up for Listings button below the search property fields.

• Don’t overwhelm. You don’t need to have a call to action button on every page. If you want more than one, it’s best to build up to the one which you really want visitors to take.

• Offer information. Calls to action that offer information motivate your readers to look to you as a trustworthy source. For example, you may place a “Find out the Best Ways to Live Green” button to have them sign up for tips for energy saving and green living.

• Sweeten the deal. Give people incentives to click the call to action button. Give away merchandise from your real estate company, or offer limited courtesy services.   Most importantly, whether you’re asking people to sign up for a newsletter, view your listings or inviting people to your next open house, you need to assure your site visitors that whatever your asking them to do will be of mutual value to them.

Whenever people visit a business website, they are always interested to see the faces behind the company name. As a real estate agent, you’re not only selling properties but you are also promoting your expertise and your company image. That said, having a professional-looking photo of yourself on your About Page is a must.

• Practice, practice, practice! The only way to find out how to avoid that stiff, awkward look is to practice your natural  smile in front of a mirror. It’s also great for studying what angle works best for your face shape. To get your natural smile, think of something funny or amusing instead of saying “cheese.”

• Ask a photographer for help. When taking photos for business  purposes, avoid using your camera phone or webcam because chances are, you’ll end up with low resolution pictures, especially if they’re taken under poor lighting conditions. A professional can give you additional instructions on how to look your best. He or she will also have the right equipment and studio.
  

• Dress appropriately. You need not dress up for the red carpet but avoid being too casual as well. Remember that you’re going for an approachable but professional image, so choose your outfit accordingly.

• Lighting is everything. If you choose not to have your photo taken at a studio, you can ask your photographer to set up his equipment in your preferred location such as your office. If you prefer to do it outdoors, your photographer will most likely suggest to have your photo taken early in the morning for the best natural lighting..

• Relax and stand at an angle. This works to slim practically any body type. Simply angle your body slightly away from the camera. Plant your feet forty-five degrees from the camera, with one foot slightly apart and in front of the other. For the finishing touch, turn your head towards the direction of the camera. This is a great, relaxed pose that will work even if you'll only go for headshots.
  

• Go easy on the makeup. For the ladies, go for light makeup. It’ll be a shock to your clients when they meet you in person and you look nothing like in the picture. 

Going green has never been more profitable for the real estate industry. As an agent, some green advice you can give home sellers on your real estate website or blog is to invest in solar panels. Not only will solar panels help their property stand out, it will also be a long-term source of savings for their buyers. Take a look at some pointers we’ve gathered on how solar panels can help you sell homes faster.

• Installing solar panels gives your property locked- in energy rates. Change is constant when it comes to electricity costs. The California Public Utilities Commission notes that from 1971 to 2001, electricity rates have gone up almost 7%, which is the national rate of increase. Offering property with solar panels ensures potential clients that they steadily save more money annually with the continuous increase in electricity cost. They can save up to 15% per month on their power bill!

• It’s a way to get solid returns on investment. There are many ways to revamp a home, but you can never be certain if the new upholstery or wider balcony is enough to keep you ahead of the competition. On the other hand, solar panels increase the value of homes on the market up to 20%. By installing solar panels, you’re also promoting a greener lifestyle, so it’s a win-win situation.

• Solar-powered homes command higher market value. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development says that by buying property with solar panels, homeowners can also apply for Energy Efficient Mortgages, thus increasing buyer privilege. In fact, they could borrow up to $20,000 more when borrowing for a home with solar panels.

• Home-improvement at its best. The financial returns start coming in almost immediately. This is the case especially when homeowners are in need of a solar provider. Solar provider benefits include: ownership options, installation, maintenance, and insurance of the panels. Look for solar providers like SunRun and Solar City, both of which offer the above services. When they home owners opt to use solar provider services, they just have to pay monthly for the power they use up. If they sell their property, they can even ask to have the services transferred. The added market value is a great incentive, too! According to a study by Shea Homes, California homes with solar panels have increased more than double their resale value compared to property without installed panels.